Train-pipe-hose coupling



May 12,1925' 1,537,705 E. A. RUSSELL o TRAIN PIPE nosn COUPLING Filed June 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mgyl Z, 1:125.

1,537,705 E. A. RUSSELL TRAIN PIPE'HOSE COUPLING Filed June 6, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 im SE 3.

Patented May 12, 1925. 1

I, 1,531,705 TET oFFIC EDWARD a. nussnnn, or onroaeo, ILlLINOIfi, ASSIGNOR To vnron can H ATING COMPANY, Inc, or cnreaeo, ILLINOIS, A CGRPOBAIPION or NnwYonK.

TRAINPIPE-HOSE COUPLING.

Application filed June 16, 1922. Serial Ho. 568,873.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. RUSSELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Train-Pipe-Hose Gouplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a hose coupling and especially to a coupling for detachably engaging the rubber hose, or eqiiiivalent iexible metal conduit elements, forming the connection between train pipes, steam or air, on adjacent cars of a railway train. The invention seeks to simplify the construction and otherwise improve upon this type of coupling, consisting of the two mating elements, each comprising a conduit member, ordinarily provided with a gasket, and a coupling member through which this con-- duit member'is thrust by a wedging or cam action against the conduit member of the cooperating mating element, the coupling member being vengageable with each other by a movement laterally one toward the other, without any rocking or angular move? ment.

plification of the coupling structures, minimizing the cost of manufacture, machining, and assembling the parts, together with an improvedconstruction of the inter-engaging parts wherebythe engageuu-mt and disengagement of the coupling members are facilitated.

Other incidei'ilal improvements will. ap

pear from the description.

That which I believe to be new is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a side view, showing my improved hose coupling in use.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the 'inter engaged mating elements.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. b

Fig. l is a fragmentary view, showing the changed position of the parts at the left taken on line -7 of Fig.2.

Fig. 8 is a perspective viewof one of the couplingv members with the conduit member, cam and spring removed.

Fig. 9 1s a faceview of oneof the spring members.

F1g. 10 1s a fragmentary v1ew,'be1ng a cross-section taken on line 10 10 of Fig. 7,

but with the gasket removed; and

Figs. 11 and 12 are fragmentaryviews, showing changed forms of constructio'n'of the parts illustrated inFig. 4:. i i

Referring to the several figures of the drawings, inwhich corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, 20 and 21 indicate the rubber hosestructures at the ends of two adjacent cars of a railway train, being provided with mating coupling elements 22 and 23, respectively. Inasmuch as the members 22 and 23 are exactly similar and are similarlyfequipped, it is believed that a description of one of such members will suflice, similar numerals beingplaced upon the corresponding parts of the two members. I

1 As 13 best shown in Fig58, each of the mating coupllng members '22, 23 1S hollow,

1 so as to receive a "conduit member 24, the My invention comprises generally a sunconduit member and the opening through the coupling member being angular in whole or in part, so asto prevent rotation of one with respect to the other, while at the same t'n'ne permitting free movement of the conduit member longitudinally with respect to the coupling member. At one side face of the coupling member, I have provided a lug of the character. hereinafter described, and at the opposite side I have proivideda forwardly extending arm 26 having an opening 27 in its outer end. i

.As is clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the conduit member 24 is provided on its forward end with an enlarged head 28, adjacent to which there is slidably mounted a rotary cam member 29, which is adapted to be given a rotary movement by means of an aid-r1801 Between the cam member 29 and the body portion of thecoupling'member 22,

th re is mounted a spring member 31, which in the construction shown is. in the form of a pair of plates, each in the form of a yoke, the arms of the yokes being curved so as to hold the cam member 29. yieldingly in spaced relation to the body of the coupling member. The spring plates 31 are held in position by means of apin 32 passing through an opening 33 in the springs, as shownin Fig. 9, the outer endof the pin extending through an opening3i in .a vertically disposed rib 35 carried. bythe, arm 26 on its inner face, .asisbest shown in .Fig. 8 As is best shown in Fig. 7, the cam ring 29 is provided with an outwardly e tend-inglug 36 which is adapted by engagement with the pin 32 to limit the rotary movement-0f the cam member. As is best shown in Fig. 6, the heads 28 formedon the forward endsof the conduit members 24 are provided with cam faces 87, which are adapted by coopera tion with suitable cams on the front faces of I the cam members 29 to force the conduit 7 members forwardly when the cam members til rection for effecting such results. Inasmuch as this construction is well-known in the art, it is not believed to be necessary to further describe the structure or operation herein.

' Asis clearly shown in Fig. 7,the-forward end of the conduit member 24 is provided are n-ven a movement in the operative di-' with an annular ribor collar 38 011 its inner facenearits foiwvardend, such rib or collar forming a shoulder against which a gasket 39 is adaptedto bear. This gasket-39 is of any approved type, being preferably formed of fiber or metal; As is shown in Fig. 7 the gasket 39 is providedonits outer face with a circumferential groove inwhich thereis located a :et-retaining member lO in the fcrmof a split ring formed of wire. best shown in Fig. 5 the wire of the retainer 40 is doubled upon itselfat one side to provide the projeotionlwhich is adapted to be I inserted through an opening 42in the outer end of the conduit-member "24- in front of the shoulder 38. As is also clearly shown in Fig. 5, one ofthe ends of the wire forming the retaining member 40 is bent outwardly for providing a flexible arm 43, which is adapted to enter a slot it in the end of the conduit 2t opposite the opening42,theouter end of the slot relbeing opento permit the entrance of theflcxible arm 5L3. W'hen the gasket has been placed in position, with the arm 5L3 extending upwardly-throngh'the slot i-l, such arm is adapted to be bent down in rear of one of the lugs 45 formed on the outer face of the conduit member at either sideof the open ended slot 4%. The retaining member 44L is thus enabled to hold the gasket 3S) 'removably in position so as to be ca. ly and quickly removed and as easily and quickly replaced when desired.

As is well understood-in the art, in use the lugs 25 of twomating couplingmembers are adapted'to engage the openings 27. of the 211311826 of said members brought together by a lateral. movement into preliminary en.- ;agemcnt in the usual manner. After this preliminary,engagement, the devices settle by gravity into substantially their normal engaging positionfas illustrated in Fig. 2,

two conduit members 24. As will be readily understood, the operation of tightening the conduit members 24 against each other serves to force the coupling member 23 towards the right in Fig. 7,-and the coupling member 2-2 towards the left, serving thus to bring the arms 26 and the lugs 25 into-their normal effective engagement a-nd serving to h old them in such engagement. t s is clearly shown i'nFig. 2, the lugs-25 are undercut on their upper and their rear faces, inthe construction shownthe upper and rear faces of the lugsloeing merged into one curved surface, with the engaging portion of the opening 27 of a corresponding shape. As is also shown in Fig. 2, theflower rear portion of the opening27 is diagonally disposed, the arrangement being such that, withthe mating coupling members hanging in the position shown in F ig.,2,and with the cam members 29 in their loosened position, uponupwar-d movement of each arm 26 with relation to the cooperating lug 25, such arm will be moved longitudinally withrespect to th'elug into the position illustrated in Fig. 4, in whichthe opening 27 is in such position that by a lateral movement the arm 26 can be freed from the lug 25. As is best shown in Fig. 3, the lower face of the lug'25 is also beveled laterally, andthe lower face of the opening27 adjacent thereto is given a corresponding shape. As a result, after the arm is moved upward some little distanceas above suggested, continued upward move ment of the arm causes such arm to ride outwardly with respect to the body of the mating member for clearing the arm entirely from the lug 2 5.

t will be noted that since eaclrcoupling lugs have been preliminarily engaged will automatically settle to lock in position by theactionof gravity, ultimatelyexerted on the cam surfaces hereinabove describe c. In this position the device cannot-be accidentally disconnected. However, by the simul taneous manipulation of the two coupling members so as to lift the outer ends ofeach of the arms '26, the parts will be automatirally cammed to first disengage the under out looking flanges on the lugs, and subsequently separate the members laterally to remove the lugs'from the recesses 27 in arms similar to the lug 25, is provided, being undercut on its rear and its upper faces.

In the construction here shown, the cam faces for procuring the longitudinal move ment of the arm 26 with respect to the coupling member 22 when the arm is moved upwardly with respect to the couplings, are located upon members independent of the lug -17 and the opening 27 in the arm 26. In the construction here shown, the arm 26 provided with a diagonally disposed cam face 4L8 on its upper face near the end, such cam 48 being adapted to coope "ate witha lug 49 formed on thecoupling member 22 for giving the desired relative movement.

So far as I am aware, I am the first in the art to provide a construction by the use of which the engaging arm of a pair of mating coupling members of this type is given a movement for disengaging it from the lug of the other member when such arm is moved upwardly with respect to such other mating member, and my claims are to be construed accordingly.

-While 1 prefer to -embody my invention in the form illustrated in the drawings, it will bc-understoml that I do not wish to be restricted to the details of such construction except as such details are covered by the claims, since it. is evident that many changes might be made in the constructiol i without dcrmrting from my invention.

I claim:

1. A hose coupling comprising a coupling member, a lug on one side face thereof, and

an arm on the opposite side extending for-' wardly therefrom, the arms and lugs ofmating coupling members being adapted by inter-engagement to connect said members together, and means to give the two members relative longitudinal movement to disenthem upon the upward movement of the arm of each member from normal engag- 'ing position with the lug of the other mem-,

2. A. hose coupling comprising a coupling member, a lug on one side face of the coupling member undercut on 'ts rear face, and

an arm on the opposite side ofthecoup ling member extending forwardly therefrom, the arms and lugs of mating coupling members being adapted by; relative movement longitudinally of the coupling members after preliminary engagement to assume normal operative engagement, and means to give the two members. relative longitudinal movement to disengage them upon the upward movement of the arm of each member from normal engaging position with the lug of the other member. j

3. A. hose coupling comprising a coupling member, a lug on one side face ofthe coupling member undercut on its rear face, and an arm on the opposite side of the coupling member extending forwardly therefrom, the arms-and lugs of mating coupling members being adapted by relative movement longitudinally of the coupling members afterprehminary engagement to assume normal operatlve engagement, the mterengaging surfaces of the two members comprising cam faces adapted upon upward movement of the arm of each member from normal engaging position witlrthe lug of the other member to. give the two members a preliminary relative longitudinal movement for disengaging said members.

4. A hose coupling comprising a coupling. member, arlug on one side face of the coupling member undercut on its rear face, and an arm on the opposite side of the coup ling member extending forwardly therefrom, the arms and lugs of mating coupling members being adapted by relative movement longitudinally of the coupling mem bers after preliminary. engagement to assume normal operative engagement, the in terengaging surfaces of the lugs and arms comprising cam faces adapted upon upward movement of the arm of each member from normal engaging position with the lug of the other member to give the two members a preliminary relative longitudinal movement for disengaging the members.

5. A hose coupling comprising a coup ling member, a lug on one side face of they coupling member, and an arm onf the opposite side of the coupling member extendlng forwardly therefrom, the arms and lugs of mating couplingmembers being adapted by relativemovement longitudinally of the coupling members after preliminary en-" gagement to assume normal effective engagement, the lower portion of the face of each of the arms, which is adapted to em gage the lug of the other member being diagonally disposed, whereby upon upward movement of the arm of each member from normal engaging position with the lug of the other member, the two members are given a relative longitudinal movement in the direction for members. i

6. A hose coupling comprising a coupling disengagement of said member, ,a lugon one side face of the coupling member, and-an arm .on the opposite side of the coupling member extendin forwardly therefrom, said ar n'beingprovided with an opening adapted itohave preliminary engagement with th-e lng oitlthe mating coupling member, and adapted i by longitudinal movement with relationto said Hilltiiig member to liave 'normal effective engagement with said lug, the lowerportion of the rear face of saidopening being diagonally disposed whereby upon upward movement of the arm from normal engaging position with the lug of the other member, the two members ,are given a relative longitudinal movement in the direction for disengagement of said members.

7. A hosecouplingcomprisinga coupling member, a lug onone side 'faceof ,thekoupling member and undercut on both its upper and its rear faces,-and an arm on'the, opposite side of=tlie coi'iplingmember extending forwardly therefrom, the arms and lugs of mating coupling members being adapted by relative-movement longitudinally of the coupling members after prelimina ry engaglement to assume normal effective lengagement, and means togive the two members relative longitudinalmovement to disengage them upon the upward movement ,of the arm of each member from :normal engaging position ;with the lug of theother member. I

"8. A hose coupling comprising a coupling member, a lug on one side face of the coupling member and undercut on both-its upper and rear faces, and anarm-onthe opposite side of the coupling member extendingforwardly therefrom, said arm being provided with i an opening adapted :to have preliminary engagement with the lug of a mating couplingmember andndapted by movement downwardly and longitudinally with respect to said mating coupling member :to have normal effective engagement with said lug. tliG'lOWOl' portion of the rear :face of said opening being diagonally disposed whereby upon vupward movement of the arm from normalengaging position iivith the lug of the other l1lQ1T1b61,-i3ll(-B two members are given a relative longitudinal movement in the direction for disengagement of 'sa d members.

:9. A hose. coupling comprisinga coupling area-e05 upon thenpward fll1OVB111QI1t.-Qfi3ll6 arm of each member from normal engaging position, vwith the "lug of zthe other member.

10. A hose coupling comprising a coupling member, .an arm extending forwardly fron thebibody of said member atone side thereof, means for releasably connecting the arms and bodies of two .matingcoup-r ling members, and means ;to give the two members firstia relativelongitudinal 111 03 6,- ment and then a.relative lateral movement todisenoagethem upon the upward movement .of the arm of each inember froninorn'ial engaging position with respect to the other member.

ill. A hose coupling comprising a coupling member, ,an arm extending forwardly. from itlie zbody of said member ,at one side thereof, means for releasably.-.connecting the arms and .abodies of the two mating coupling members, and means :to .givethe two members relative longitudinal movenicnt to disengage :them upon the upward movement of the arm of each member from normal engaging :position ,withirespect to the other member. v

12. A:hose coupling comprising {a couplingmember, alug on one side face-thereof, and an arm on :theopposite side extending forwardly :tl'ierefrom, the arms and lugs of mating couplingmembers beingadapted by interengagement to connect vsaid meinbers together, andImea-ns'to give the two me nbers first relative longitudinal movement and then relative 'lateral movement 'todisbers relative longitudinal,n ovement tlliil ti) force the arms laterally from the lugs to disengage them therefrom.

14. A llose COLlPlll1gJCOIDPTlSlDg a coupling member, .a lngionlone-side face ofithe couplingniember nnderz-cuton its rear face, and flitr1111 on the opposite side of the coupling member extending forwardly therefrom, the arms ,and lugs of mating coupling members being adapted by relative imovement longitudinally \of the coup lingmembers ,afteix preliminary engagement to :assume normal. operative engagement, the inter-engaging surfaces of the two members comprising camifacesadapted upon upward movement of the arm of each member from normal engaging position with the lugs of the other rin'ember to "give the two members ion ill)

a prelin'iinary relative longitudinal 1n0vement and subsequently a relative lateral movement for disengaging said members.

15. A hose coupling comprising t-WO similar cooperating members, there being a lug on each member adapted to interlock with an opening in an arm extending forivarclly from the other member, and cooperating cam surfaces 0n the lugs and the Walls of the openings, Wlneh automatically unlockthe lugs and separate the lugs from the arms by imparting relative movements first longitudinally and then laterally to these parts when the ends of the arms are moved upwardly.

EDWARD A. RUSSELL. 

